Bits

Philosophy is Phat: What you think about that?

If you concur, then swing by The Harvard Bookstore this afternoon, March 13, at 3 p.m. for a reading/booksigning by Willard Van Orman Quine, Emerson Hall's own living legend. Quine (rhymes with wine) is one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th Century, as well as a sparkling prose stylist and extremely brilliant guy. Tune in the following Friday, same time, same place, for a reading/booksigning by Daniel Dennett, M.I.T. philosopher and author of (among other things) Consciousness Explained. Creep on out from behind the Veil of Ignorance and enjoy the philosophical treats the Square has to offer!

Agog at the Fogg

Don't wait until Junior Parents Weekend to discover the Fogg Art Museum! This squat neoclassical building is truly one of the treasures of Harvard's campus, boasting a surprisingly superb and broad collection of paintings and sculpture. The exhibits are self-contained and easily manageable in an afternoon, so there's no need to wade through acres of Post-Impressionist gaffes before you find a masterpiece. Particularly noteworthy are the installations of abstract art, German expressionism and the Impressionists, the latter containing an absolutely terrific Van Gogh self-portrait. Plus, it's all FREE with your Harvard I.D. FREE! That's over $20 less than paying someone $20 for no reason whatsoever!

Film from a Land Down Under

This evening kicks off "Imagining the Aborigine: Australian Movies Since the Second World War," a three-day film retrospective at the Harvard Film Archives. Curated by John Rickard, Harvard's visiting Professor of Australian Studies, the series features (among many others) Peter Weir's The Last Wave and Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, as well as several documentaries about Aborigine-European encounters on this island continent. Put some shrimps on the barbie and stroll down to the basement of the Carpeneter Center to check out these cinematic gems.

Knitting--It's not just for Gen Ed 100 anymore

What was once considered the craft of little old ladies sitting by the fireplace is now one of the hottest, most-spotted crafts around. Wool enthusiasts all over campus have been putting their needles to work for various amounts of time--some learned last Thanksgiving, while some were practically handed a skein at birth. But, even though spring is fast approaching, it's never too late to learn. Both our Square's own Woolcott and Co. and Porter Square's Mind's Eye Yarns gives lessons for all levels of talent. (Mind's Eye Yarns even gives wool-spinning lessons for the truly hard-core.)

Up in Smoke

Anyone who's anyone knows that smoking has been portrayed in the mass media as being "sophisticated" for quite some time. In a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, Leonardo DiCaprio was photographed with tousled hair, sophisticated suit and a cigarette between his lips. Even more frightening, the article interviewed numerous teenyboppers who professed their undying love for him. All of those interviewed were too young to buy cigarettes, but there is little doubt that the photo--and many others like it in so-called "glamorous" entertainment magazines--will influence their opinion of how smoking is really "cool," despite obvious health hazards Attitudes like this are not going to change until the public lets its outraged voice be heard. Write letters. Send e-mails. Most importantly, question what influences the way you think.